Mehbooba Mufti's mother appears before ED in money laundering case

Gulshan Nazir, the mother of former Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Srinagar for questioning in an alleged money-laundering case.

Nazir was accompanied by daughter and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti to the ED office.

The central probe agency had on earlier occasions also asked Nazir, wife of the late J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to appear before it in money-laundering case.

Last week, the Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing on the plea filed by Mufti challenging the vires (powers) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The matter was adjourned on Friday as the concerned bench did not assemble. The hearing is now scheduled to take place on August 20.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the ED and the central government, had submitted that Mufti has to appear before the agencies.

Along with the notice issued to her, Mufti had also challenged constitutional vires of Section 50, and any incidental provisions of the PMLA.

Section 50 of the PMLA empowers the authority that is, officers of the ED, to summon any person to give evidence or produce records. All persons summoned are bound to answer questions put to them, and to produce the documents as required by the ED officers, failing which they can be penalised under the PMLA.

( With inputs from ANI )

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